The Ask and the Answer
Description Reaching the end of their flight in The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive? Plot The novel begins with Todd Hewitt recovering consciousness after surrendering to Mayor Prentiss in The Knife of Never Letting Go. He is physically hurt by the new heads of New Prentisstown, but his only concern is for Viola. Elsewhere , Viola wakes. Likewise her thoughts are for Todd’s welfare. She is in House of Healing for her gunshot wound. Here she meets Mistress Coyle, a renowned healer, who also has previous political and activist ties. Viola also meets the apprentices Madeleine (Maddy) and Corinne (Mistress Wyatt), among others, as she recovers. Meanwhile, President Prentiss psychologically manipulates the people of New Prentisstown into accepting his rule. Back at the House of Healing, Viola has finally recovered enough to help Mistress Coyle and begins an apprenticeship as a healer. Todd is told that Haven has indeed discovered a cure for Noise, but President Prentiss has confiscated the necessary pills for the sole use by leaders of New Prentisstown. Prentiss also separates the males and females and takes all domestic Spackle away to a farm. The President is intent on creating a new world so the settlers, when they arrive, are welcome to a literally "New" Prentisstown. Unhappy with these developments, Mistress Coyle leads a group of women out of New Prentisstown to form a resistance movement, reconvened from the time of the Spackle War, known as "The Answer" to carry out a series of bombings in the city. Todd has to work with Spackle alongside President Prentiss’ son, Davy. Todd hopes that by following the President’s orders, he is ensuring Viola’s health and safety, while the President hopes that Davy will become a better person with Todd's influence. However, uncivilised and arrogant, Davy scorns him, forcing Todd to undergo unethical practices such as branding the Spackle with metal bands without anaesthetic. Todd himself is shocked by the extent of Davy's inability to feel compassion. One of several large bombings happens. Todd, trying to redeem himself, saves a Spackle, 1017, who is ungrateful. Angered by the attacks, President Prentiss sets up a counter-intelligence unit called "The Ask". He promotes Todd and Davy into this unit, where Haven residents are captured and tortured for information on The Answer. Next morning, Viola wakes to find that the House of Healing is completely empty except for Corinne. The rest have gone to join the Answer, but Mistress Coyle returns to recruit Viola, who feels forced to join, knowing that President Prentiss has been torturing women and men alike. Todd realises that he must take sides, and is urged to do so by President Prentiss. At The Answer’s headquarters, Viola learns how to assemble and set off a bomb, which she does during an attack. An older teenager, Lee, befriends her. Lee is intent on avenging his family, who have been taken by The Ask. On his way back to his bell tower prison, Todd tells Davy about the Spackle bombing, and is surprised that they now share a kind of friendship. Meanwhile, Viola and Lee arrive in Haven to rescue Todd, knowing that otherwise Todd will die in an attack on New Prentisstown led by the Answer the next day. Viola notices that there is something darker to his personality, but still urges him to leave with them, warning that the attack will come from the east. Mayor Ledger turns up, explaining his loyalty to President Prentiss. Holding them at gunpoint he finds a self-arming bomb in Viola's bag that detonates meant to detonate on sensing a pulse. Too late, the Mayor attempts to throw it away, but it explodes. President Prentiss captures Viola and Lee. Viola is interrogated and tortured, with Todd watching from a soundproof room. The Answer are planning to attack New Prentisstown, and President Prentiss wishes to know from where. Unable to watch Viola in pain, Todd screams that the Answer is attacking from the East, ending the torture session. The President then tells Todd to meet him in the town Cathedral with Viola. Todd realises where his duty lies, and formulates a plan to stop the President, with the help of Ivan and other military personnel. The guards agree to help Todd rescue Lee and Viola. Smitten with Viola, Lee wants answers about her love for Todd. At the cathedral, the President disables the entire procession simply with his Noise and captures Viola while the rest of Todd’s group are incapacitated. The President still wants Todd to join him, despite his betrayal. Davy Prentiss arrives to tell his father that an army is coming, and requires orders. At this point a second scout ship, like the one Viola crashed in, lands. In desperation, Todd holds Davy at gunpoint, threatening to kill him if the President does not release Viola. Shockingly, the President drops Viola and fires his gun, quickly killing his own betrayed son. In anger, and quick to learn, Todd uses his own Noise as a weapon with Viola’s name to overcome the President and ties him up in the interrogation room. Todd sends Viola off on Davy's horse, to meet with the scout ship. No sooner than this is done, a horn sounds across New Prentisstown to warn of an army of Spackle marching towards the city. President Prentiss tells Todd that since he was the one who killed the Spackle, the army wants revenge. With no alternative, Todd releases President Prentiss to enlist help with the hopes that he is not making the biggest mistake of his life. Setting New World Awards *Winner of the 2009 Costa Children's Book Award *Shortlisted for the 2009 Teenage Book of the Year Award 2009 *Longlisted for the 2009 Booktrust Teenage Prize *Longlisted for the UKLA Children's Book Award *Nominated for the prestigious 2010 Carnegie Award